Collar-band stretcher



Aug. 18, 1925. 1,549,997

B. LIEBOWITZ COLLAR BAND STRETCHER Filed Ovt. 11. 1924 INVENTOR Zeg/0Min l'eow/g Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN LEBOWITZ, 0F PENNSDE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO S. LIEBOVITZ & SONS, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COLLAR-BAN D STRETCHER.

Application filed Gctcber 11, 1924. Serial No. 743,165.

To all 'whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN Linnewrrz, a citizen of the United States, residing at the village of Pennside, county of Berks, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful mprovement in Collar-Band Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved stretcher for shirts having collar-bands.

The object of the invention is to provide a quickly operable device whereby such shirts may be held upon a table in proper position to be ironed. lVith my improved stretcher both hands of the operator are left free for use in ironing and handling the shirt.

I attain this object, as well as others, by means of the novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved stretcher, partly expanded, applied to a shirt laid out in position to be ironed, and indicating the fully expanded position of the stretcher in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stretcher with its arms in closed position, and,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device.

In the drawings, 1 indicates an ironing` table having a standard 2 suitably aliixed thereto. A. .stud 3 projects from the standard and carries a hinge piece 4 on which the stretcher is supported. The hinge 4 permits of swinging the stretcher from its vertical inoperative position, indicated by the dotted lines in 3, to its horizontal operative position shown in full lines in said view.

The stretcher comprises a pair of arms 5 6 pivoted at 7 to the horizontal leaf of the hinge 4. The outer end of arm 5 is pivoted at 3 to a collar 9, which collar carries a rod 10 having an enlarged head. The outer end of the other arm 6 is pivoted at 11 to a sleeve 12 sliding on the rod 10.

Extending forward from the collar 9 and the sleeve 12, respectively, are the right angle pieces 13 and 15. The vertical members of these pieces carry at theirv feet the plates 14 and 16, respectively, which plates are ada ated for insertion in the shoulders of the sliirt adjacent the collar-band, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Links 17 and 18 pivotally connect the parts 13 and 15 with the hook 19 which latter serves as a handle for the stretcher. 20 is a helical spring attached at its ends to the pivot pin 7 and the hook 19, respectively.

21 is a pin iiXed to the horizontal portion of the member 15 and projecting through a hole in the corresponding portion of the member 13. 22 is a .similar pin atXed to the member 13 and passing through a hole in the member 15. When the arms of the stretcher are in their closed position, shown in Figure 2, the friction of the parts i-s sufficient to maintain them in such position. Slight pressure in opposite directions on the pins 21-22 will cause the members 13 and 15 to separate and will permit the spring 2O to operate to retract and spread said members.

A spring clip 23 is provided to engage and hold the stretcher when it is swung into its vertical position, said clip being supported on a vertical extension of the standard 2.

.in using the device, a former 24, made of a thin band of brass or other resilient material, is placed in the collar-band 25 of the shirt 26. rlhe stretcher with its arms closed as shown in Fig. 2, is then swung down so that its plates or fingers 14-16 come within the former 24. The pins 21-22 are new pressed towards each other to open the arms of the stretcher as indicated in Fig. 1. The opening movement of the stretcher causes the members 13 and 15 to spread apart so as to press against opposite parts of the former 24, thereby expanding the latter against the collar-band to hold it in shape, and to slide the plates or lingers 14-16 into the shoulders of the shirt, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to hold the shirt in place on the ironing table. A weight or clamp (not shown) may then be applied to the tail of the shirt to maintain it in its stretched position during the ironing operation.

Various changes and modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of parts herein described may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

W'hat 1 claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a support, a pair of arms pivoted to the support, a pair of plates each adapted for insertion into the shoulder of a fgarment, means carried by said arms for supporting and guiding the plates, and a spring"acting on said'ineansto move the. plat'esin oppoport, a collar pivoted tothe outer end ot" one of the arms, a guide rod iXed to the Collar` a 'sleeve slidable on the rod and pivoted to the outer end of the other 'ai-iii, the collar and the sleeve each havinga forward extension, plates carried by the eX- tensions in position for insertion into the shoulders of a garment, toggle connecting said extensions, and -a spring acting' on the ytoggle joint to movethe plates in opposite directions.

3. 'A vdevice of the character described comprising a 'hinged support, a pair of arms,

' a pin'pivotally connecting the inner ends of 'lar pivoted totheouter end ot one of the arms, a Lguide rod fixed to the collar, a sleeve "sl'idable 'oni the rod and pivoted to the outerI end of the other arm, the collar and the sleeve each "having a forward extension, plates carried by said extensions in position -for insertion into the shoulders of a garment, a handle for the device, axpair ot Alinks havingtheir outer ends pivotally con- BENJAMiN LIEBOWITZ. 

